Peterborough, NH – Charles A. Bowen Jr., known as “Charlie,” died on April 5, 2026, at the age of 88 at RiverMead, a retirement community in Peterborough, NH.
He was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, to a family of Irish and Yankee heritage. As a child, he was a favorite of the local librarians because of his enthusiasm for reading.
Charlie was valedictorian of his high school class and went on to study English at Notre Dame University, where he wrote a humor column in the campus magazine and took up the banjo. After graduation, he entered a graduate program in English at Yale University, where he developed an interest in Celtic Studies.
Having completed a Master’s Degree, he taught English at Carnegie Mellon University (then called Carnegie Institute of Technology) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There he encountered an active folk-music scene, which provided an opportunity to play his banjo and sing Irish songs. It was there that Charlie met and married Dorothea Tsagaris.
In 1964, they moved to Boston, where Charlie pursued a doctorate in Celtic Studies at Harvard University. A few years later, he joined the English Department at the brand-new University of Massachusetts at Boston. During his 18 years as a member of the faculty, he taught Celtic Literature in Translation, Cultural History of Early Ireland, History of the English Language, and several other courses. In addition, he served as assistant chair of the English Department and took on various leadership roles in the newly formed faculty union.
In 1984, fatigued by years spent trying to balance his administrative and union duties with his teaching responsibilities, Charlie spent a sabbatical year exploring the relatively new phenomenon of personal computers. As a result, he co-authored a book on public-domain software. Soon after that, he resigned his faculty position and undertook a second career writing technical documentation in the computer industry.
Charlie’s personal life revolved around home, family, and music. He enjoyed reading books and telling stories with his two sons as they grew up, and he read widely on many subjects. A student once said that talking to Charlie was like wandering through a well-stocked antique shop; you never knew what you’d find. And he continued to play the banjo – with a local contradance band, in old-time jam sessions, and at various music festivals. In his later years, he also enjoyed playing African drums.
Considering all the aspects of Charlie’s life, the most memorable feature was his good nature. He always saw the best in those whose lives he touched. He was ready with a smile and quick with a joke. Charlie greeted the world with a generous spirit.
Charlie leaves behind his wife Dorothea, sons Christopher Bowen (Jayanto Bhikkhu) and Niall Bowen, as well as granddaughter Nina Bowen.
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